By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Three Barton County high schools will be represented at the KSHSAA State Volleyball Championships on Thursday. After a Friday off, championship matches are scheduled for Saturday. The top two seeds from each pool on Thursday will advance to those Saturday matches.
Class 5A
Salina - Tony's Pizza Events Center
This year's Class 5A tournament begins Thursday morning at 10 a.m. Great Bend, with a 27-9 record, enters as the No. 6 seed seed. Bishop Carroll, at 37-1, enters as the No. 1 seed. Great Bend's Thursday schedule is:
10 a.m. - Great Bend vs No. 3 Blue Valley SW (33-4)
1 p.m. - Great Bend vs No. 2 Maize South (35-4)
2 p.m. - Great Bend vs. No. 7 Kapaun (27-10)
Class 3A
Hutchinson Sports Arena
After a third-place finish a year ago, Hoisington (36-4) returns to state as the No. 3 seed. Absent from this year's bracket is defending champion Halstead and runner-up Nemaha Central. Silver Lake (41-1) enters as the No. 1 seed. Hoisington's schedule is:
10 a.m. - Hoisington vs. No. 6 Holton (34-9)
12 p.m. - Hoisington vs. No. 7 Osage City (27-12)
3 p.m. Hoisington vs. No. 2 Riverton (36-4)
Class 2A
Dodge City - United Wireless Arena
Ellinwood takes a perfect 42-0 record into state as the No. 1 ranked team and the No. 1 seed. Maranatha Christian and Inman, the two teams that beat Ellinwood at state a year ago, have either changed classifications or did not qualify for this year's state tournament. Ellinwood's schedule is:
11 a.m. - Ellinwood vs No. 8 Rossville (28-13)
1 p.m. - Ellinwood vs. No. 5 Hillsboro (32-9)
3 p.m. - Ellinwood vs. No. 4 Humboldt (34-9)